We avoid normal family outings because of one child's triggers

What to do right now

You stopped going places because the risk of a meltdown is higher than the reward of the outing. The avoidance is rational. It is also shrinking your family's world. Start with one low-demand outing this week. Short, with an exit plan. 'We are going for twenty minutes. If it gets too much, we leave without drama.' Rebuild the tolerance gradually. Do not aim for a full day at the zoo. Aim for a successful trip to the park.

What your brain just did

Your body

The list of places you no longer go is growing. The world is getting smaller.

Your brain

Avoidance is a rational response to repeated negative experiences. It is also progressive. Each avoided outing removes a data point that could have gone well.

What this did

One low-demand outing this week. Short, with an exit plan. Rebuild gradually. A twenty-minute park visit with a successful exit teaches more than a full-day event that ends in crisis.